Archive for March, 2012

Pulse Australia has appointed former AWB, Elders and Namoi Cotton manager Tim Edgecombe as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Edgecombe will also take up the GIMAF board position left vacant following the retirement of former CEO Gavin Gibson who led Pulse Australia for 13 years.
Tim has broad experience in the grains industry. He was responsible for managing the AWB’s International Project Investment Division and later developed and promoted the strategic initiative that led to the AWB’s acquisition of Landmark from Wesfarmers in 2003.

Investigation into recent media reports has found claims that Canadian canola exporters are able to apply for import permits to additional ports, including those in canola producing provinces, are false.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry investigation found no evidence to back up reports that Canadian access had been extended to ports previously unavailable.

Currently, Australian canola has no access arrangement with China as the transitional permit for access to China’s restricted ports, negotiated in 2009, has lapsed.

Following the recent publicity, interest from Australian exporters in revisiting the Chinese market with Canola has increased.

Those exporters genuinely interested in the Chinese canola market are urged to contact the Grains Industry Market Access Forum (GIMAF) and the Australian Oil Seeds Federation, before negotions to reopen access to Chinese ports begin.

Iran’s new requirement that grain must be fumigated within 28 days of shipment is a priority for further discussion and negotiation for the Australian government.

The Biosecurity Services Group in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is seeking a waiver for Australian grain exporters, and has submitted a response through the Australian embassy in Tehran outlining its objections and requesting an explanation of why fumigation is required.

The industry sees mandatory fumigation as an extra cost for exporters which is unnecessary due to the industry’s nil tolerance on live insects in grain shipments from Australia.

In early February, Iranian quarantine authorities issued a statement outlining the new requirements, but did not provide an explanation of why this had come about. Grain exporters are expected to comply with the requirement while negotiations are carried out.